The presently disclosed embodiments relate generally to a mechanism for locking a movable column at a desired location.
Structures can be designed where the structure includes columns, or other components of the structure, which may be movable between a first position and a second position, as well as a range of positions between the first position and the second position. For example, a structure may have multiple columns which pivot from a fixed location on one column end between a range of locations at the other column end. This allows the structure to include columns which may be moved at any time.
In one application, it may be desirable to design a structure with movable columns as a way to provide shading to the structure. For instance, where at least a portion of the structure includes a glass exterior, such as on the structure's roof, movable columns can be used in conjunction with the glass exterior. The movable columns can be made to move throughout the day to shade the glass exterior from the sun, without blocking light from entering through the glass exterior. In this application, the movable columns can be used to provide significant energy efficiencies to the structure.
However, for a structure to effectively utilize movable columns as part of the structure's design, the structure must have the ability to lock the movable columns into place at a predetermined location when desired. Otherwise, the movable columns may move unintentionally, such as by wind forces, putting the structure at risk for damage.